When it Comes to Drafting a QB, The Colts Say They Won’t Force It

The Colts have their quarterback set for 2020 in former Los Angeles Chargers signal caller Phillip Rivers, but beyond that the team is going to need a QB for the future as Rivers won’t last forever.

With the NFL Draft approaching starting on Thursday, the Colts are a team that a number of people seem to feel are going to go after a QB early, but that’s not something they will force.

General manager Chris Ballard says that despite needing one, the team is not going to force it taking a QB just because they will need one eventually to take the place of the 38-year-old Rivers.

“It’s gotta be the right guy, the right fit for us, and for our staff and for our organization,” Ballard said Friday in a pre-draft media session, via the team website.

“So I don’t know when it’s gonna happen: maybe this year, maybe next year, maybe two years from now. I don’t know. And I’m not gonna force it — much to everybody’s dismay, and it might drive everybody nuts, but I’m not gonna force that issue.

“When we decide to take one up that we think is going to be the future guy of this franchise, you gotta be right.”

The Colts owned the 13th pick in the 2020 draft, but now are without a first-rounder and have eight picks overall, including two in the second round. In the second, the Colts have the No. 34 and 44 choices, which could be in the neighborhood for a promising QB.

As for shipping away No. 13 — which would have likely been a good spot for perhaps Utah State’s Jordan Love — Ballard is more that happy with having traded it away to the 49ers for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.

“He’s got everything we stand for — high character, he’s a producer,” Ballard said of Buckner. “He’s durable, he’s got the character (and) he plays a premium position in this defense. It was an easy decision, easy decision.

“I know the 13th pick is a high price, but we haven’t made a lot of big moves like this and a chance to acquire a player of this caliber with is character, I thought it was a no-brainer,” Ballard said.

“Matter of fact, I held my freaking breath, praying that it was going to get done. I couldn’t be more pleased about getting this young man into this organization and I think you will see the same things I see here going forward.”